Keep out

Tuesday

Under a proposal by the state Department of Environmental Protection, beach towns will be able to decide where, when and how the public will have access to New Jersey's beaches and waterways.

We believe allowing towns to plan access is a bad idea.

As long as the tax dollars of New Jersey residents are used to maintain and replenish those beaches and waterways - all residents should have a say in how access is provided.

Many shore towns already force beachgoers to pay a fee to dip toes in "their" surf. Excluding the public to a great extent, and that's certainly possible, could only do more damage to the state's tourism industry. Visitors forced to drive miles to find a public beach will leave and never come back.

Put it on hold

Gov. Chris Christie announced last week that New Jersey will withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade agreement between 10 Northeast states, by the end of the year. The agreement has been blamed for the departure of a number of businesses from the state, including Ocean Spray from Bordentown City.

The goal of the initiative is for states to cap and reduce carbon dioxide emissions 10 percent by 2018, investing proceeds from emission auctions into clean energy. Power producers are required to pay for every ton of greenhouse gas they emit by buying credits at quarterly auctions. The governor wants out because he doesn't believe the program is effective. We believe it could be, but it should be put on hold - temporarily.

We're not siding with polluters. We're siding with New Jersey residents. In the current economy, anything that prevents business from coming to New Jersey is a problem. Now is not the time to be placing any additional burdens on state businesses.

Until we meet again

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" ended its wildly successful 25-year run last week, and in typical fashion, Winfrey went out in style, with a few tears and some of the highest ratings in the show's history.

The daughter of a poor, single mother, Winfrey became the world's first female African-American billionaire in 2003. Forbes estimates her worth at $2.7 billion.

People either loved her or hated her, but her influence on American culture is worth noting. Her book club was responsible for more than a few best-sellers, and she's raised millions for charities worldwide. And the reach of her praise extended far beyond simply literature: Her "favorite things" shows skyrocketed many products into popular culture. And a mere mention could drive a business into the stratosphere. She has moved on to her own OWN network, but network TV will miss her.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Follow Us

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Burlington County Times ~ 116 Burrs Rd., Suite B, Westampton, NJ 08060 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service